Kendrick Lamar has always been vocal about the influence that west coast legends have had on his career. For the new issue of PAPER magazine, the “King Kunta” rapper has penned an essay paying homage to N.W.A frontman Eazy-E.
K. Dot recalled when he first heard Eazy-E’s music and how it helped him put his young life in perspective.
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“I would go outside and see the same imagery in my reality as the things they were talking about on the record,” he wrote. “From the way these guys talked to the way they carried themselves to the type of activities that they were involved in, the whole thing was a real life introspective report from the ghetto. Looking at them and sitting inside my community, it left a big toll on me because it always let me know that no matter how far I go, I gotta stay in reach of the people and what’s going on in the neighborhood, whether it’s a harsh reality or not.”
The “Nowstalgia” issue, which features Grace Jones and FKA Twigs as the cover stars, also has Swizz Beatz reflecting on the influence of the Notorious B.I.G and Eminem discussing Tupac’s impact. The issue hits stands Oct. 20th.
Read Kendrick’s essay in full here.